Potato-digger



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. L. ALLEN. POTATO BIGGER.

Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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POTATO BIGGER Patented Apr. 8, 1890'.

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POTATO BIGGER.

No. 424,945. Patented Apr. 8, 189-0.

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SAMUEL L. ALLEN, OF CINNAMINSON, NElV JERSEY.

POTATO-BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,945, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed September 27, 1889. Serial No. 825,284. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cinnaminson, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PotatoDiggers, of which the following is a full specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved implement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the digging-fork. Fig. 3 is plan view of the digger. Fig. 4 is an enlarged. View of the plowshare and adjacent parts, looking up from beneath. Fig. 5 is a section on y 3 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aplan view of a modified form of plowshare. Fig. 7 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the plowshare detached, showing the bottom thereof. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing how the moldboard is adj ustably secured to the standard, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the standard with the digging-fork removed.

My invention consists of certain new and improved features of construction in potatodiggers, as hereinafter detailed.

A is the beam, and F the metal standard bolt-ed or otherwise secured to the beam, and to which are in turn secured the guiding-handles BB and the various devices that contribute to the digging and separating of the potatoes from the earth.

0 is the plowshare, firmly secured to the frame by the bolt 11 and the lug 0 while above it is the mold-board 0, provided with the rear- Wardly and upwardly extending tines 0, forming a skeleton mold-board. This mold-board, by means of the hinged lugs or ears 0 o bearing against the plowshare G and the fastening-bolt m, passing through both mold-board and standard, is adjustably secured to the frame, so that it may beset at different angles with the said standard, as shown in Fig. 8, the said mold-board being hinged at the bottom on said lugs and set out from the face of the standard when desired by interposing one or more washers m on the bolt m between the standard and the mold-board, as clearly shown. Any number of the washers m 011 the outside of the frame may be trans ferred to the inside, thus setting the board at varying angles; or, instead of the washers and single bolt shown, a double-nutted bolt may be employed.

In implements of this class the plowshare ordinarily has to be made so thick and heavy in order to have suflicient strength to cifectually withstand the wear to which it is subjected that it soon becomes blunt and dull through use.

My improved plowshare is so constructed as to be self-sharpening, the construction being clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. To this end the working-edge o of the share is made quite thin and of the shape shown in Fig. 5, while at intervals the edge is supported by ribs c c 0 a", running diagonally to the line of motion of the digger and not parallel thereto, as best shown in the View of the bottom of the share looking up from beneath, Fig. 4, and in the perspective view of the bottom of the plowshare, Fig. 7. These ribs, preferably wedge-shaped, are sufficiently supporting for strength, even with the body of the share at 0 made very thin, and the arrangement is such that the ribs, being diagonal to the line of motion, will wear off as fast as the edge, thus making the share self-sharpening.

In my improved digger I employ both the skeleton mold-board formed by the tines c and v the additional digging-fork E,which is detachable and adjustable. The relative position of the two sets of tines, one of which forms the skeleton mold-board and the other the diggingfork, is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The standard F is provided with two corresponding series of bolt-holes f and the base of the fork E with the two holes f so that by means of bolts f, Fig. 2, the said fork may be secured to the frame at any desired height, depending upon which two holes in the two series of holes f contain the fastening-bolts. As shown in the drawings, there are four different positions at which the fork may be placed. The base of the fork is, furthermore, preferably provided with lugs g, Fig. 2, which fit depressions g in the frame arranged in series to correspond in position with the bolt-holes f and intended to hold the fork more firmly in position.

The action of the digger is as follows: As the implement advances, the -colter K, at tached to the beam, turns the potato-vines from the landside of the digger to the side on which the soil is turned, while the mold-board too C, with its tines 0.,is so shaped as to loosen and break the furrow-slice a little, raising it on edge only. If it were not for the digging-fork, the furrow-slice thus raised would immediately fall back where it came from as soon as the mold-board has passed on; but before this can take place the digging-fork engages thefurrow-slice, neither turning over the slice nor yet allowing it to fall back, but disintegrating and spreading the soil,while the slice is edged up in the most favorable position, the potatoes being all sifted out and exposed 011 top of the ground. In deep digging the mold-board is raised, and also the diggingfork, the fork being adjustable independent-1y of the mold-board, since it is attached directly to the frame or standard of the plow.

The peculiar shape of the fork-tines, each havinga bend, as shown, is important. Only the outer parts of the tines beyond the bend dig or uncover the potatoes, the furrowslice does not come back to the inner portion. By this peculiar shape of bent tines I am enabled to attach the base of the fork to the standard at such a height that it cannot getelogged up with earth, and a very excellent adjustment is gained on the standard of the plow, instead of on the mold-board orlandside, as heretofore. The shape of the tines is such, furthermore, as to prevent the potatoes which are dug out from the top edge of the slice from rolling or dropping down behind the plow and being covered by the loose earth in the rear. The low landside is also useful, in

that it allows the furrow to be filled with earth from the land as the implement moves along, so that potatoes falling in the furrow are left on top of this loose earth instead of under it.

I also embody similar improvements in a double digger on the same principle, but having a double plowshare made in the shape shown in Fig. 6, n being the countersunk bolt-holes for the fastening-bolts n on each side that secure the share to the standard.

This double form of digger is especially useful for side hills and to work between crops where the potatoes are grown between corn, for instance.

I claim- 1. In a potato-digger, the combination, with a plowshare, of an angularly-adj ustable moldboard provided with tines c, rigidly secured thereto, and a separate digging-fork secured to the standard, adjustable in height independent of said mold-board, and provided with bent tines e, substantially as described.

2. In a potato-digger, the combination, with a plowshare and moldboard, of a plow-standard provided with two corresponding series of bolt-holesf and additional depressions g, a digging-fork whose base is provided with bolt-holes f and lugs g, and fastening-bolts f all arranged and operatil'ig substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A plowshare provided with a self-sharpening edge having wcdgeshaped ribs, substantially as described.

4. A plowshare provided with a thin working-edge supported on the under side by strengthening-ribs running diagonal to the line of motion, substantially as described.

5. A plowshare having its outer workingedge supported on its under side by wedgeshaped ribs, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL L. ALLEN.

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